LOGAN COUNTY, W.Va. (WOWK) — A man is in custody after admitting to using another man’s identity to rack up almost $3,000 in AEP charges, according to the Logan County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office said that a man called them after receiving an AEP bill for $3,103.95, which was much higher than his bill should have been. The man told deputies that AEP told him it was a transfer balance from another utility pole used at an address located on the same road as his residence.
The man had received a cut-off notice from AEP, and the sheriff’s office said that it appeared the man’s identity had been compromised. According to a release from the sheriff’s office, the man hadn’t had an issue with AEP in the more than 40 years he’s lived at his home.
Deputies asked the man if anyone had access to his personal information, and the man said that the only person he could think of was a man who had fixed his computer recently.
According to a release from the sheriff’s office, deputies questioned the man, Charles Adkins, and he admitted to using the victim’s identity to open up an AEP account. Adkins said he used AEP power in the victim’s name to mine Bitcoin and trade power usage for graphics cards for his computer system.
Adkins was arrested for identity theft and obtaining goods and services under false pretense.
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